Strengths: Larkin can do it all on offense. He’s a superb athlete who can shoot from deep, handle in the pick-and-roll and make the passes needed of a point guard. One of the youngest players on an experienced Hurricanes squad last season, Larkin played like a veteran, reading defenses and avoiding costly turnovers. On defense, Larkin uses his quickness to force steals and bad shots.

Weaknesses: A lack of size will hurt Larkin at the next level. He struggled to finish inside in college and will encounter even bigger and stronger defenders in the NBA. Defensively, he’ll enter every matchup at a disadvantage because of both his size and lack of bulk. Can he use his athleticism to overcome that? The question remains.

What Scouts Say: “Stud athlete, stud kid. His size is never going to change, so the question is whether your coach can live with that. He had a 44-inch vertical at the combine. He’s gonna be pretty damn good, man. If you have talented pieces around him, he’s going to be really good because he likes to get others involved. He’s an off-the-charts kid. He is truly about the team.”

Team Fit: By working through two separate transactions involving Boston and Atlanta, Dallas did nicely for itself by parlaying the No. 13 overall pick into Larkin, the No. 44 overall pick and two future second-round picks while shedding the salary of seldom-used guard Jared Cunningham. Larkin is definitively a better prospect than Cunningham, and has nice potential as a waterbug ball handler who makes nice reads out of the pick-and-roll.

It’s impossible to broach Larkin’s game without mentioning his size, but the Mavs and head coach Rick Carlisle have experience utilizing the offensive skills of undersized guards by working them off of Dirk Nowitzki. Dallas’ centerpiece draws so much attention and creates so much space with his shooting that Larkin should be able to dart into the paint consistently, and in the process have a bit more space to finish or create than he might have had otherwise. A good find for Dallas and a great fit for Larkin.

Tim George Jr. has the best 10-lap consecutive average speed in the first practice for the Camping World Truck Series UNOH 225 at Kentucky Speedway.
His average of 168.136 mph in the No. 5 was best of the 3 trucks that ran 10 consecutive laps on the track for this session. No. 07 Todd Peck (150.344 mph) and No. 39 Ryan Lynch (148.563 mph) are the other two on this list.

Yasmani Grandal is happy with his defense and the way he has handled Padres pitchers since his return May 28 from serving a 50-game suspension. But his offense is not where the switch-hitting catcher thought it would be.

“I didn’t think I would be so far back with the bat,” said Grandal, who entered Wednesday night with a four-game hitting streak — including tying a franchise record with doubles in four straight games — and a run of hitting safely in 10 of his last 12 starts.

Grandal thinks his slow offensive start is a combination of the suspension — for testing positive for the performance-enhancing drug testosterone — and the fact that didn’t swing a bat for almost four months after the end of last season.

Grandal finished 2012 with two inflamed tendons on the middle finger of his left hand.

“It started hurting midway through last season, and by the end of the year it was like I had arthritis,” said Grandal, who didn’t swing a bat until two weeks before spring training.

“Offensively, my offseason hitting program was lost. So I spent a lot of time in Arizona with (Tucson manager) Pat Murphy working on catching, working with pitchers, receiving pitches and throwing.

“As a catcher, defense is really the No. 1 thing. Catching is first. And my defense has been good. I prepared and did everything I could defensively. The hitting will come.”

“I like the way Yasmani is receiving the ball and working with pitchers,” Black said Wednesday afternoon. “He’s done a nice job defensively.”As for his offense ...

“My stroke is not back yet,” Grandal said. “It seems and might look like it’s back, but it’s not. I am not locked in. I usually go into the batter’s box with a plan. Right now, I’m just concentrating on getting good swings.

“Everything is timing. And timing takes time. I think I’d be ahead of where I am now if I had been able to hit over the winter. I really had no preparation.”

Grandal has hit .311 (14-for-45) since June 5 after opening his season with two hits in his first 24 at-bats. Entering Wednesday night’s game, Grandal had raised his average from .083 to .232 in 15 games.

BALTIMORE -- Chris Perez has been activated from the 15-day disabled list by the Cleveland Indians and will immediately resume his role as closer.

Perez was sidelined May 27 with right shoulder soreness. While he was out, he and his wife were charged with misdemeanor drug possession after marijuana was mailed to their Ohio home in their dog's name.

Both have pleaded not guilty. Perez declined to speak with reporters Thursday at Camden Yards.

Indians manager Terry Francona says Perez's return will strengthen the bullpen by allowing other relievers to return to their previous roles.

The Indians also traded infielder John McDonald, designated for assignment Wednesday, to the Philadelphia Phillies for cash or a player to be named.

To make room for Perez on the 25-man roster, left-hander T.J. House was optioned to Triple-A Columbus.

The Bears have several new players this year. As we get closer to training camp, Grizzly Detail will help you get to know the Bears. Today, we look at a new Bear who has the tough task of replacing a legend: D.J. Williams.

Who is he? D.J. Williams

Where did he go to school? Miami, which is also the alma mater of Devin Hester. He was a member of the Hurricanes' 2001-2002 national championship team.

Where did he play before Chicago? With the Denver Broncos, though he didn't play much last season because of suspensions' due to a failed drug test. The Broncos suspended him six games, and the NFL added three more. He played both outside and middle linebacker for Denver.

What will he bring to the Bears? The reason why Williams is a surprising signing is that it's hard to say what he will bring based on his recent performance. He had 17 tackles in six games last season. Previously, he was a reliable linebacker that could get to the quarterback and force fumbles. Those traits will help him fit in well on the Bears' defense, which emphasizes forcing turnovers.

What are his downsides? He has had many off-the-field issues. Williams has had two DUIs, plus the drug suspension. This is not particularly confidence-inspiring. He's signed for a one-year contract, so if his demons show up again, it won't be tough for the Bears to can him.

Who is he replacing? A player you may remember by the name of Brian Urlacher. Williams is in a tough position because he is replacing a Bears' legend.

What number will he wear? 58, which was worn by Wilber Marshall and Jerry Muckensturm, one of the best-named Bears of all time.Anything else to know about him? He's not afraid to wear a baby carrier.

Vilma might be the hardest player to rank on this list because we haven't seen him fully healthy since 2010. At that point, Vilma was a back-to-back Pro Bowl player and the best defender on the Saints' roster. It's possible he could return to a similar level now that he's finally recovered from a major knee injury. But it's no sure thing since he's 31 and switching positions to the inside weakside linebacker in the Saints' new 3-4 scheme.

Vilma is a bit undersized for a middle linebacker. But he has always made up for it with his great instincts and intelligence (linebackers coach Joe Vitt claims Vilma has a photographic memory). Vilma has always had a knack for making big plays. We just didn't see as many of them last year after he returned from knee surgery in Week 7.

Shane Larkin's heard it for years and doubters remain. Still, the 5-foot-11 former Miami Hurricane is expected to hear his name called during the first round of the NBA Draft, starting at 7 p.m. Thursday. Most mock drafts have him listed as a mid-round selection.

How much his height will matter in the pros is still up for debate, but he'll join an elite group of Hurricanes either way. Larkin will likely become only the fourth first-round pick to come out of Coral Gables and the first since John Salmons was the 26th overall pick 11 years ago. Since Rick Barry was taken No. 2 overall in 1965, no Hurricane has been drafted higher than Tim James (No. 25) in 1999.

Several other members of UM's Sweet 16 team worked out for NBA teams, but Larkin appears to be the only sure thing on draft night. Kenny Kadji had been appearing as high as the first round in draft projections, but his stock has since slipped.

Larkin, however, is one of the fast risers in the mock drafts. Originally slotted as late first-round or early second-round pick, the Orlando product moved all the way onto the cusp of the lottery.

Impressive individual workouts and a 44-inch vertical (second highest in NBA combine history) helped improve his stock considerably. Speed, defensive instincts and an improved jump shot led him to leave UM after his sophomore season, when he scored 14.5 points per game and earned second team All-America honors.

ESPN draft analyst Chad Ford said Larkin's best-case scenario appears to be going 14th to the Utah Jazz, although the Jazz could wait until the 21st pick to draft Larkin.

"I'm not sure they'll take [him] there," Ford said of Utah using its No. 14 pick on Larkin. "We have him going 15 to the Bucks in our mock, and he's definitely in the mix there. He's in the mix for Boston at 16. He's in the mix with the Hawks. They have two picks at 17 and 18. And if he was still on the board when the Jazz drafted at 21, assuming that they decided to go big and not take a point guard, I think that's his range, 14 to 21."

Ford said concerns not just about Larkin's height, but his short wingspan could also deter franchises. It measured at 5 feet 10, lower than any point guard drafted during the past decade, Ford said. For comparison, fellow point guard Trey Burke's wingspan measured 6-5.

Miami coach Jim Larranaga doesn't worry about any of that with Larkin.

"I mean, the kid's just a great athlete," Larranaga told CBS Sports radio this week. "I don't think size is as much of a factor in the NBA as it once was."He pointed to the NBA Finals when the Spurs went to four-guard sets and the diminishing post-up style of play. One local NBA star who won another ring last week has faith in Larkin.

"Shane is a guy that has an opportunity to be very good in our league, and some of the other UM guys as well," LeBron James said. "We'll see what happens."Former Hurricanes Durand Scott, Trey McKinney-Jones, Julian Gamble, Reggie Johnson and Kadji had workouts with NBA teams in recent weeks. Kadji's age is the biggest challenge, Ford said, while predicting he'll go undrafted.

"Yeah, it's a big deal in the NBA," Ford said. "And at 25, people begin to really question your productivity because you ought to be playing basketball against kids that are six, seven years younger than you."

Yasmani Grandal is happy with his defense and the way he’s handled Padres pitchers since his return May 28 from serving a 50-game suspension.

But his offense is not where the switch-hitting catcher thought it would be.

“I didn’t think I would be so far back with the bat,” said Grandal, who entered Wednesday night’s with a four-game hitting streak -- including tying a Padres franchise record with doubles in four straight games -- and a run of hitting safely in 10 of his last 12 starts.

Grandal thinks his slow offensive start is a combination of the suspension – for testing positive for the performance-enhancing drug testosterone – and the fact that he went almost four months after the end of last season without swinging a bat.

Grandal finished the 2012 with two inflamed tendons on the middle finger of his left hand.

“It started hurting midway through last season and by the end of the year it was like I had arthritis,” said Grandal, who didn’t swing a bat until two weeks before spring training.

“Offensively, my off-season hitting program was lost,” said Grandal. “So I spent a lot of time in Arizona with (Tucson manager) Pat Murphy working on catching, working with pitchers, receiving pitches and throwing.

“As a catcher, defense is really the No. 1 thing. Catching is first. And my defense has been good. I prepared and did everything I could defensively. The hitting will come.”

Bud Black shares Grandal’s assessment of the 24-year-old catcher’s defense. “I like the way Yasmani is receiving the ball and working with pitchers,” the Padres manager said Wednesday afternoon. “He’s done a nice job defensively.”

As for offense . . .

“My stroke is not back yet,” said Grandal. “It seems and might look like its back, but it’s not. I am not locked in. I usually go into the batter’s box with a plan. Right now, I’m just concentrating on getting good swings.

“Everything is timing. And timing takes time. I think I’d be ahead of where I am now if I had been able to hit over the winter. I really had no preparation.”

Grandal has hit .311 (14-for-45) since June 5 after opening his season with two hits in his first 24 at-bats. Going into Wednesday night’s game, Grandal had raise his average from .083 to .232 in 15 games.

Perez has been on the DL since May 27 due to a right shoulder strain and also suffered a setback during his rehab. He was set to return this past Friday, but an awful outing during his minor-league rehab assignment caused the Indians to delay his return.

Perez threw a scoreless inning for Class A Mahoning Valley on Tuesday, however, and the Indians seemed pleased enough to bring him back.

"He'll join us Thursday. Chris felt good after Tuesday's appearance," said Francona (via cleveland.com). "The reports were good, as well."

He is 6 for 8 in save chances with a 4.32 ERA, 1.50 WHIP and 18 strikeouts in 16 2/3 innings this season. The two-time All-Star had a 0.64 ERA before his last three outings, possibly when he started dealing with the shoulder injury.

Vinnie Pestano was 4 for 4 in save chances with a 3.27 ERA since Perez went on the DL and he'll now return to setup duties.

Maybe it won't be as dramatic as what Alexi Casilla did last night, but Danny Valencia would like a repeat. Last night, Casilla, who hasn't had much playing time recently, hit a key three-run homer in an Orioles win.

It can be hard to sit for a while as a reserve and then start and come up big for the team, but that is the role of the bench player to try and stay ready when he gets a chance.

Valencia gets his shot tonight batting eighth against Cleveland in the DH spot.

"You go through your routine every day and prepare like you are playing in every game, taking quality batting practice, watching video and staying loose while the game is going on," Valencia said. "Hopefully with those things, you can put yourself in a position to have some success, although it is tough.

"You want to go up there feeling prepared. The last thing you want is to have a feeling of being under-prepared when your name is called. The results will handle themselves as long as the preparation is there."

So does a player not starting every night want to take a few pitches early in the game to settle in a bit?

"Obviously you definitely want to see some pitches and get your timing when you are in and out of the lineup as much as we are," Valencia said. "But at the same time, you want to pick your spots. Sometimes the game dictates you may be swinging and aggressive early in the count.

"I feel good that I've been able to keep myself in shape and stay with my routine. Getting my BP in, feel pretty good."

Valencia is batting .269 in 17 games. But he really hits left-handed pitching well. He is 11-for-30 off southpaws, batting .367 with an OPS of 1.040 and he'll face Cleveland lefty Scott Kamir tonight.

"I think right handers have the advantage to see the ball pretty well against lefties," Valencia said. "But I feel pretty good against right-handers also."

Yonder Alonso (hand) isn't expected to be activated from the disabled list until the second week of July.

Alonso hasn't been cleared for baseball activities yet and will need to go out on a rehab assignment before returning. It sounds like he'll be back just before the All-Star break, but the Padres could decide to play it safe and go ahead and rest him through the break.

Hall of Fame defensive tackle Warren Sapp made some waves last week when he trashed former defensive end Michael Strahan while complimenting his former teammate Simeon Rice.

"Simeon was a better rusher than Michael Strahan any day of the week and twice on Sunday,” Sapp said. “[Rice] didn't rush the worst lineman. You know the right tackle is the worst of the five. Strahan played right end [against the opponent's left tackle] his first four years. When they were putting the label on him as a bust, they put 'B-U-S. OK, let's transition him on the other side and see if he can play in his fourth year.'

"They put him at right end and he couldn't do it, so they moved him to the weak guy.”

Now, you might ask why in the name of Canton, Ohio would Sapp bring this up. Former Giants running back Tiki Barber has an answer.

"Warren's an idiot," Barber told the NY Post on Monday. "He just wants to say things to be idiotic. I played with Stray for my whole career. He is the greatest of the great. He is a great teammate, he kept things light, but on game day he was as serious as a heart attack and it showed in his play.

"Warren doesn't know, never played with him," Barber said. "I don't put any credence in his opinion. I hope Stray doesn't let it bother him. I don't think it does.", Jeremy Shockey?

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution suggests free agent RT Eric Winston as a fit for the Falcons.

Winston is battling a sharply deflated right tackle market, so perhaps he'll be willing to lower his contract demands soon. He's 30 years old and has been released in each of the last two offseasons. If the Falcons can get Matt Ryan a new contract and free up a little space, adding Winston would make some sense. Unproven incumbents Mike Johnson and Lamar Holmes are set to battle for the starting right tackle job in camp.

Tampa, Fla. - Peter O'Brien delivered an opposite field grand slam in the bottom of the first to lead the Tampa Yankees (2-1) to a 4-1 win over the Brevard County Manatees (1-2) on Saturday night at George M. Steinbrenner Field.

Yankees' starter Bryan Mitchell (4-7) takes credit for his first complete game of the season. The right-hander allowed one run on four hits and one walk while striking out five in five innings pitched.

Brevard County scored in the top of the first. Gregory Hopkins singled and advanced to second on a wild pitch before coming home on an RBI single by Nick Ramirez.

Mason Williams singled off of Manatees' starter Jed Bradley (4-3) to leadoff the bottom of the first. Robert Refsnyder followed with a walk before Ben Gamel reached on a fielder's choice, retiring Refsnyder at second. Gary Sanchez walked to load the bases. One out later, Peter O'Brien cleared the bases with a two-out blast to right field.

A light drizzle turned into heavy rainfall as Gamel reached on a one-out walk in the fifth. With a 2-1 count on Sanchez, umpires Ryan Additon and Ryan Clark decided to remove the players from the field. Puddles formed and the umpires deemed the field unplayable. With four and a half innings being played, the game became official.

Up next, the Yankees travel to Clearwater to begin a three-game commuter series with the Threshers at Bright House Field at 1:00 p.m. RHP Rafael De Paula is scheduled to make his first start as a member of the T-Yanks. The Yankees return to Tampa on Monday for game two of the series. Fans can enjoy Winning@Home Monday sponsored by Capital One Work@Home. If the Tampa Yankees win, fans receive a free ticket to a future 2013 home game. Also, the first 250 fans will receive a 2012 team card set. Gates open at 6:00 p.m.

MIAMI (AP) — James Jones and Rashard Lewis have exercised their player options to remain with the Miami Heat next season.

Both moves were expected, and announced Tuesday. Jones is due to make $1.5 million this coming season, and is coming off a year where he scored 60 points in 38 regular-season appearances.

Lewis will make just under $1.4 million, and averaged 5.2 points in 55 games in his first Heat season.

Miami still has a team option to pick up on starting point guard Mario Chalmers, who will make $4 million next year if he remains with the Heat. Miami has until Sunday to exercise its option on Chalmers, who said on Tuesday that he expects to hear formal word from the team in the next couple of days.

University of Miami basketball coach Jim Larrañaga plans to watch Thursday’s NBA Draft from his bed, where he will be recovering from oral surgery. Despite the discomfort, he said he will force himself to smile as at least two former Hurricanes — point guard Shane Larkin and forward Kenny Kadji — are expected to be drafted.

Larkin is considered such a lock he was invited to Brooklyn’s Barclays Center for the draft ceremony, where he will be sitting in the audience with his family.The last time two UM players were picked in the NBA Draft was 1970, and they were selected in the 10th round (Don Curnutt) and the 15th round (Wayne Canady). This time, Larkin is projected to go in the first round — somewhere between No. 13 and No. 21 — and Kadji in the middle to late second round.

Their UM teammates, Durand Scott, Julian Gamble, Reggie Johnson and Trey McKinney Jones, probably will go undrafted and have to latch on to an NBA summer league team or go overseas. All the UM players have spent the past few weeks working out and interviewing with NBA teams. Kadji worked out for 13 teams, and Larkin more than that.

Larkin’s size (5-11) and Kadji’s age (25) are of concern to some teams, but both have impressed on and off the court. Larkin, who opted for the draft after his sophomore season at UM, tested off the charts at the NBA Combine with a 44-inch vertical leap — second-best of all-time at the Combine. His charisma and pedigree are also plusses.

A few of the most popular mock drafts have Larkin going No. 14 to the Utah Jazz, No. 15 to the Milwaukee Bucks, or No. 16 to the Boston Celtics, where Larrañaga’s son, Jay, is an assistant and being considered for the head coaching job after the departure of Doc Rivers, who knew Larkin as a youth in Orlando. If he drops past No. 20, the Jazz might take him at No. 21, or he could wind up with Indiana at No.23.

“From what I’m hearing, Shane will probably go 15 to 20, but he could fall to 25 and the only reason is his size,” said one NBA scout, who did not want to be named. “Some people just don’t like small point guards, and he’s not going to grow. But the majority of teams like him. He did great at the Combine, and the thing that makes him different is because of his dad [baseball Hall of Famer Barry Larkin], he grew up used to the bright lights and the big moments.”

ESPN draft analyst Chad Ford said: “Larkin is really talented. If only he were a couple inches taller. It’s not only height he lacks, but length. His wing span measured 5-10, and in the last decade we haven’t seen many point guards with that wing span. But he’s a great pick-and-roll player, shooter, one of the best athletes out there, so some team will take a chance on him.”

Larkin reportedly had a good workout with the Jazz.

“It was good that I had to go out and play with bigger players. I’ve seen people say that, ‘His height, he can’t play defense, da da da,’ so I went out to prove that I can,” he told Utah reporters.

Jazz head scout Walt Perrin said: “Shane’s 44 vertical is unbelievable for a point guard. It was eye-popping seeing those kind of numbers. If a guy can play, it doesn’t matter what his size is. We think he can play. How well he plays on this level is something we have to evaluate.”

Kadji is 6-11 and a good perimeter shooter, making him a coveted “stretch 4” player.

“Some teams will see his age and ask, ‘What’s his upside? Can we get a younger guy as good as him?’ ” another NBA scout said. “But he’s a good pick-and-pop player and there’s value in that.”

Said his Washington-based agent, David Bauman: “The flip side of being older is Kenny won’t make the mistakes 19-year-olds sometimes make, on the road with money, clubbing, women, drinking. He’s not going to do that. He’s a man. His maturity showed in all his interviews.”

Assuming they get drafted, Larrañaga said Larkin and Kadji will leave behind “a legacy” for the program, which will help with recruiting in years to come.“Prospects always ask, ‘Who you got in the NBA?’ We’ll be able to say DeQuan Jones, Shane, Kenny, maybe Durand,” Larrañaga said. “Shane was not considered one of the top-20 high school prospects and now is a first-round pick. He improved at UM. We want that message sent and clearly understood.”

Steelers cornerbacks are typically prototypically built; long, muscular, strong and athletic. They're not blazers in terms of speed, but they run well, and they aren't afraid to hit.

While neither Isaiah Greene nor Demarcus Van Dyke fit that mold, their freakish speed make them two of the more intriguing cornerback prospects the Steelers have had in camp recently.

Van Dyke, a roster acquisition after his release from the Raiders last season, showed that sprinter's speed in covering punts last season before a string of penalties landed him in the doghouse. Speed for the dollar is a great weapon to have, if a player's main goal is to get an invite to training camp.

How much will it help boost Van Dyke's chances of making the roster this year? The Steelers brought in at least one other sprinter-turned-cornerback, Green, who spent time with the Bills and Colts last season before ending up on the Steelers' offseason roster.

Neither look at all like prototypical Steelers cornerbacks. But punt gunners? It's tempting.

That long speed, coupled with the technique of breaking off a block or two at the line and get down the field fast enough to force a fair catch is valuable to any team. And every team is looking for that kind of a player. Their main question is going to be position flexibility. Can either one of them defend anyone on defense?

The Steelers may not keep both of them, but it wouldn't be surprising to see the Steelers keep one at the expense of the other for the sake of special teams.

Indians’ closer Chris Perez was hoping to be activated from the disabled list following a successful bullpen session yesterday, but he’s not ready yet.

Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports that Perez is scheduled to make another rehab appearance tomorrow with Class A Mahoning Valley. Perez, out since May 26 with right shoulder soreness, yielded five runs on five hits (including three homers) in one inning during his last rehab appearance last Tuesday. While his shoulder feels fine, the Indians want to see how he fares tomorrow before bringing him back.

Perez, 27, had a 4.32 ERA and 18/10 K/BB ratio in 16 2/3 innings prior to landing on the disabled list. He is 6-for-8 in save chances this season.

Jacory Harris, the Miami Hurricanes product who played well in a pre-season game against the Saskatchewan Roughriders on June 14, will be on the Edmonton Eskimos’ practice roster.

The Eskimos had a choice here. Reilly was the only option to start, but through Reed’s two-plus seasons as head coach in Edmonton, Joseph and his now 10-year CFL career (and a pro career that’s entering its 17th year) have had a snake-charming sort of affect on the coach.

Experience can get you out of a jam and is great in the present, Reed has always said. Given the inexperience that comes with three young quarterbacks (Reilly is 28 with three CFL starts to his name, Crompton is 25 and Harris is 23), that charm was still there, a 39-year-old in better shape than many regular folks half his age, doing his best in training camp to pull the coach in with his soothing tune.

“We feel very confident in Mike Reilly’s ability. We feel confident in Jonathan Crompton’s ability to grow into that position as a CFL quarterback and we feel very confident in Jacory Harris’s ability, too, to mature into a very capable CFL quarterback,” Reed said. “Under the grandfathering of Kerry Joseph, we feel we have a good crew there.”

Miami Dolphins second-year quarterback Ryan Tannehill has an offense that looks a whole lot different, and it’s for the better given the new pass-catchers around him. Mike Wallace is one of the best deep threats in the game, Brandon Gibson is an interesting No. 3 receiver, and Dustin Keller was Mark Sanchez‘s only reliable target. A new running back is taking the Dolphins role as a feature back next season, and the organization couldn’t seem higher on another second-year player in the backfield in Lamar Miller, who looked great in limited carries last season. Miller has a world of potential, and he’s looked as good as advertised thus far this offseason. The Dolphins are hoping that they won’t miss Reggie Bush‘s playmaking ability, and, for what it’s worth, LaDainian Tomlinson thinks Miller is even more explosive than Bush.

But what impresses Tannehill the most about Miller is his improved pass protection, which is something the Dolphins organization has also been quick praise. Tannehill told Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, ”he’s picking up pass protections a lot better. Now that he’s got that, he’s going to be a great player.”

Pass protection is something that gets overlooked at the running back position, especially with backs who are better known for other qualities. Three examples that come to mind are feature backs Fred Jackson, Frank Gore, and Ahmad Bradshaw, who aren’t as widely recognized as being elite pass blockers since they are just such great rushers (and receivers) overall. I wonder if Miller is in-line to be that kind of an all-around feature back for the Dolphins, and the team does seem to talk him up like that.

It’s no secret that Miller is a potential breakout star in 2013, and those who watched him coming out of college at Miami know that Miller has the ability to be a great running back in this league. It’s a good thing the New England Patriots have one of the best run defenses in the NFL.

There’s a new Urlacher at middle linebacker in the NFL. At least in look.

Titans defender Colin McCarthy has shaved his head to honor the man who has retired after 14 NFL seasons.

“It’s for [Brian] Urlacher, since he hung it up,” McCarthy tells Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean. “Hopefully it will bring me good luck, and bring me 16 games of playing.”

McCarthy needs all the luck he can get. A combination of a concussion and an ankle injury kept him out of nine games last season.

“I’m feeling as good as I’ve felt in a long, long time,” McCarthy, who had ankle surgery in January, said. “It’s good to have all that behind me. I know I have to get back to my old ways, and now I feel like I’m not that far off. Things are positive.”

While McCarthy may be available for 16 games, it doesn’t mean he’ll be starting. Moise Fokou has his sights set on the first-string position.

Both players split reps during OTAs and minicamp, and that will continue over the summer as the Lions look for one of the two to step into Gosder Cherilus' old position. "We'll keep them as equal as we can and let guys work with different groups," offensive coordinator Scott Linehan said. Fox has been viewed as the favorite to win the job, but he has never started an NFL game.

After his newborn son spent his first month in pediatric intensive care with a congenital heart defect, Panthers tight end Greg Olsen said taking him home was a little nerve-wracking.

“The first night I made him his formula, we almost had to take him back to the hospital because I thought I was going to hurt him,” Olsen said.

Olsen and his wife, Kara, hired a nurse who lived with them for four months and helped out with TJ, who was born in October with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS), a condition that affects normal blood flow through the heart.

At each of TJ's checkups, doctors marveled at how well TJ was eating and growing. The Olsens attributed it to the extra set of hands at home while TJ awaited his second surgery.

“We said, ‘Fortunately, we were able to provide this for ourselves. But what if we could provide this for everybody, regardless of their situation, no questions asked. No insurance, nothing. If they need it, we'll provide it to them for free,'.” Olsen said.

What followed were a series of meetings with hospital executives, sit-downs with corporate sponsors and a charity golf tournament – capped by a $289,325 gift from Olsen's foundation to the Levine Children's Hospital.

The donation, announced at a press conference Friday in Levine's atrium, will go toward helping families of pediatric heart patients pay for in-home care, physical therapy and speech therapy after they leave the hospital.

Olsen said the gift will cover the in-home costs for the 25 babies born with HLHS and other single-ventricle defects at Levine each year. He hopes to extend the HEARTest Yard Fund to include families of all pediatric heart patients, and eventually branch out to other area hospitals.

Children born with HLHS face three surgeries in their first three years, including two in their first six to eight months.

Benjamin Peeler, chief of pediatric and adult congenital cardiothoracic surgery at Carolinas HealthCare System, said between five to 15 percent of HLHS and other single-ventricle babies die before their second surgery.

Peeler said he hopes the Olsens' gift will help lower that interstage mortality rate while providing families support during the critical, six-month period after birth.“It's a lot to have round-the-clock care with medical experts in the hospital,” Peeler said. “But then we send families home and the next day it's just all you at home without the support network.”

Friday's announcement was attended by Olsen's parents and his brother Kevin, a freshman quarterback at Miami. All three of the Olsens' children also were there: 2-year-old Tate, Talbot, TJ's twin sister, and TJ, who wore a onesie emblazoned with the HEARTest Yard logo.

Olsen hopes the fund will help families better endure a trying process.

“It's never really ending,” he said. “These kids are going to go through three surgeries in three years, two in their first eight months. It's not a one-and-done and you go home. It's a continuous long process and the future is still a little unclear for these kids.”

Each day seems the same to Venjah Hunte. Up at 5:30 a.m. Breakfast. Back to sleep. Cell check. Cut hair, play basketball or cards for an hour or two in the recreation yard at the Metro West Detention Center in Miami. Shower. Locked down again.

Time is measured by the two or three tear-choked times each month he sees family through thick glass separating visitors. By reading and working out and watching television and praying. By repeating the solitary routine since he was booked at 8:30 p.m. on Dec. 3, 2007, and became inmate No. 070106122. By waiting.

“I’m always doing or trying to do something to keep busy,” Hunte wrote in one of multiple letters to The Washington Times describing jail life. “It makes the day go by faster.”

Blood and regret cover the November night 5 1/2 years ago that locked him up and left Sean Taylor dead. The night lingers, something even time can’t push away as the case’s quiet drama continues. The lone resolution is the grave of the Washington Redskins‘ star safety. The first verse of Psalm 23 is etched near the base: “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.” Two verses from the same chapter were tattooed on Taylor’s left shoulder, the autopsy report noted.

Hunte took a plea bargain in 2008 that landed him a 29-year sentence for second-degree murder in exchange for testimony against the four other defendants: Timmy Lee Brown, Jason Scott Mitchell, Eric Rivera and Charles K. Wardlow. Hunte initially tried to back out of the agreement, but faced two life sentences if he did so and dropped the effort in 2009. Trials for the four others, charged with first-degree murder in Miami-Dade Circuit Court, have been relentlessly delayed since the first attempt in April 2008. Last year, for instance, a trial date of April 16 became Nov. 5, then April 5 of this year. The latest try is set for August.The four defendants, all jailed, didn’t respond to letters seeking comment.

“This is not unusual … when you have so many co-defendants and a high-profile case,” said Landon Miller, who represented Mitchell in the case’s early stages but is no longer associated with the proceedings. “High profile makes courts more cautious. You only want to try a case once. You don’t want it to come back on appeal.”

Another attorney knowledgeable about the case attributed the delays, in part, to defendants expending every effort to draw out the proceedings in hopes of discovering a path, however unlikely, out of jail. They face life in prison if convicted.

Earlier this month, Wardlow asked the court to be removed from the Pre-Trial Detention Center in Miami because of medical concerns. That continued his long-running correspondence with the court over such matters — including, at one point, requesting a “full-body scan” and to be “checked for everything.” In one letter to 11th Judicial Circuit Judge Dennis J. Murphy, Wardlow claimed problems ranging from a “tingly feeling” in his extremities to pain in his chest and back to coughing up “white things.” He asked that his kidneys be examined, wanted to be re-tested for “siffless” diagnosed in 2011 and wondered if he had cancer.“I need help before it’s too late,” wrote the inmate, whose father, Vince E. Wardlow, is serving a life sentence at South Bay (Fla.) Correctional Facility for second-degree murder, “please, please.”

A scrawled heading to the note insisted it was Wardlow’s last communication on the matter. Time drags on. So do the requests.• • •

The long list of aborted trial dates is rivaled only by continued turnover among the defense attorneys. Rivera, identified as the alleged shooter in the original indictment, filed a motion earlier this month to represent himself. Last year, he dropped attorney Clinton Pitts a month before one of the trial dates. A former attorney for Wardlow, John E. Evans III, was disbarred in 2011. He was released from federal prison last month after serving an 18-month sentence after pleading guilty to wire fraud.

Numerous attorneys and others connected to the case in the present or past, including Evans, declined to comment or didn’t respond to requests.

A wide-ranging gag order in place since 2008 from Judge Murphy shrouds much of the case and postponements in secrecy. Key documents, like Hunte’s deposition last year, have been sealed and hearings closed to media. Prosecutor Reid Rubin, attorneys, police and others connected to the case aren’t permitted to speak publicly about it.

“The cumulative effect of the media coverage and statements made by various persons if allowed to continue would deprive the defendants of their right to a fair trial,” the order said.

The order’s four pages are why Taylor’s father, Pedro, hasn’t said much in recent years. Interview requests are politely declined until the trials finish. His most extensive public comments in recent years came during a brief conversation last fall with reporters on the sideline at FedEx Field.

“There’s never going to be any closure,” said Pedro, who is police chief in Florida City, Fla. “It’s hard to lose a child. It’s hard to even fathom me burying a kid. I respect the fact that God makes no mistakes. But at the same time, there won’t ever be closure because it’s so big and my heart’s too big. When you lose something that big, it really leaves a pit inside you. It’s hard. Very hard. But he’ll always live long in my life. He’ll always live forever in my life.”Could the trial, any trial, really, be a relief?

“It will,” he said. “It will.”• • •

So, lives push forward without Taylor. A 15-minute drive from the cemetery where he’s buried, if traffic is smooth, sits his former home on Old Cutler Road. Taylor bought the four-bedroom property surrounded by a white wall in 2005. Owed $820,132.91 from the remaining principal by 2010, in addition to interest, taxes and fees, Wachovia Mortgage Co. foreclosed. The property became overgrown, drawing a warning letter from Palmetto Bay’s code compliance officer to clean up within five days or face a $250 sanction and other penalties.

Eventually the home sold in 2011 for $460,000, just over half of what Taylor paid. The real estate listing, complete with pictures of the empty, spotless home, didn’t hint at the horror that swept through on that November night.

“Paved patio, excellent for entertainment,” the listing read. “Shade trees. Beautiful grounds. Foyer entrance. Fireplace in living room. Open floor plan.”That’s where the five men arrived at 1:40 a.m. The break-in seems as distant to Hunte as freedom. Taylor’s bedroom door was kicked down. Two gunshots. One bullet plunged into Taylor’s right thigh, cut the femoral artery and, 27 hours later, ended his life at age 24.

Hunte has insisted he never ventured inside. The night isn’t something he thinks about much. In one letter to The Times, he apologized to Taylor’s family, admitted the words were inadequate, but sought forgiveness anyway. The consequences, though, stalk him day after isolated day.

“I wish I would’ve had better judgement of the people I surrounded myself with that night,” he wrote. “Last, I just wish [Taylor] hadn’t passed away. It was an unfortunate situation, but there was no malice on my behalf.”

He writes about change, big and small. Not cursing as much. Doing life the right way. Not ending up back in jail. Thinking through decisions before he makes them, like the three drug-related charges he faced in Lee County, Fla., in the months before the drive across the state to Taylor’s home. Not chasing money. Not living the fast life.

There’s a book he wants to write to make sense of what happened and, in his mind, honor Taylor’s family.

“Most of all,” he wrote, “to give young men all across the country an alternative to the things there [sic] going through, no matter the race or bringing up. … I can’t change the world, but that one person can go a long way.”

The Silver Stars (3-5) jumped out to a 13-point lead in the first quarter before the Liberty slowly climbed back and tied it late in the second. San Antonio then pulled ahead by eight in the fourth quarter, only to have New York rally again and take the lead before the Silver Stars tied it in the final minute of regulation.

The Liberty also took the lead three times over the first 3 minutes of the extra period.

“Definitely proud of our effort, proud of the way we fought,” Robinson said. “We obviously let go of the (early) lead but the way we closed the game in regulation and in overtime ... we needed it and we buckled down and got it.

“I’m really proud of how we finished up.”

Cappie Pondexter had 19 points and 11 rebounds, and Plenette Pierson scored 18 points for New York (4-3), which lost at home for the first time this season after opening with four wins. Pondexter also had seven of the Liberty’s 21 turnovers.

The Liberty had three chances after Johnson’s go-ahead basket, but Katie Smith missed two 3s, including one blocked by Jia Perkins with 1.9 seconds left.“There were a lot of frantic possessions, but that last one,” Smith said, “(we) had some good looks, they missed, we come down, we get a look, I get a good look at one. Plenette gets a great rebound, (we’re) tossing the ball around, blocked shot, game over.”

New York also had a chance to win in regulation, but Pondexter’s jumper at the buzzer fell short.

Smith’s 3 had given the Liberty a 77-74 lead with 2:05 left in overtime, but they didn’t score again. After Robinson’s basket pulled the Silver Stars within one 10 seconds later, officials reviewed Smith’s jumper and confirmed it as a 3.

Pondexter and Kelsey Bone turned the ball over on New York’s next two possessions before Johnson’s winning basket.

“We love that we fight, we compete, we don’t give up, we battle,” Smith said. “But then we also realize if we just took care of the basketball a few more times, we didn’t give up that offensive rebound, we hit that shot, we’d walk out here with a win.

“A couple of things here throughout the game and things could be different.”

Johnson had a layup, and Robinson made a jumper to give the Silver Stars a 55-50 lead with 8:05 to go in regulation. Pondexter, however, made a layup and hit a 3 to tie the score less than 40 seconds later.

San Antonio scored the next eight points and led 63-55 with 5 1/2 minutes remaining. New York rallied again as Leilani Mitchell hit a bank shot, and Kara Braxton made two layups to pull the Liberty within two with 3:41 left. Pierson’s three-point play 45 seconds later gave them their first lead since the game’s opening minute.

The Knicks took a break from hosting pre-draft workouts on Wednesday to put on a free-agent minicamp, which goes through Thursday. It's organized to evaluate younger players who have recently finished a season in the D-League or overseas and are looking for a minimum-level contract in the NBA.

While the pre-draft workouts focus on more individual testing, drills and 1-on-1 and 3-on-3 play, the minicamp, because of the larger group of players, feature more competitive drills and 5-on-5 scrimmaging.

According to several league sources most were point guards or big men, two key needs for the Knicks looking ahead to the draft and free agency.

Malcolm Grant (6-1, 188; University of Miami; undrafted in 2012): The Brooklyn native is known for his handle and 3-point shooting, as well as his New York-style toughness and confidence. After playing in Cyprus, he suited up this past season in Australia, averaging 9.6 points and 2.3 assists per game.

Sacramento Kings are ready to use amnesty clause on John Salmons to create more cap flexibility. During the Maloof-era the amnesty clause had never been used for financial problems of the team. Salmons is the most expensive player on the roster and has already two more years in his contract for a total amount of 17 million dollars.

Two scouts said the Oakland Athletics are willing to trade 2B Jemile Weeks, who has spent the entire season with Triple-A Sacramento, but their asking price is high. Weeks has seen a lot of action as the designated hitter, with 2B Grant Green receiving the bulk of the playing time for Sacramento at second base.

Chris Perez (shoulder) believes he's ready to be activated from the disabled list following a successful simulated game Sunday.
Perez said after the throwing session that it's the best he's felt in a long time. The Indians haven't announced anything yet, but it sounds like they should get their closer back this week.

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